


Shipwrecked Hearts

by FlameOf



Category: Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: Character Death, Family, Murder Mystery, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameOf/pseuds/FlameOf
Summary: When an amnesiac girl by the name of Erika washes up on Rokkenjima, the Ushiromiya family finds itself stuck by an unimaginable tragedy. Will any of them be able to survive the resurrection of the Golden Witch? Or, will none be left alive when checkmate is reached?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. The Typhoon

Rokkenjima, October 4th, 1986. These four words alone bring to mind a single tragic incident. We're sure it doesn't need to be spelled out to those of you now observing which incident it is.

There are as many renditions of the tragedy on Rokkenjima as there are stars in the sky. Some versions tell a tale of an evil witch called Beatrice, whom slaughters the entire family. Some tell a tragic tale of corruption, where one of the 18 people that were on the island during the typhoon that lasted until October 6th killed all others, claiming the grand wealth of the Ushiromiya family for themselves.

So long as no single 'absolute' truth comes to light, the incident of Rokkenjima will remain shrouded in mystery, locked in the cat-box it is.

These interpretations, otherwise known as Fragments, tell substantially different tales. And just as there are many takes on how things play out, there are many interpretations as to how the pieces act on the 'game board'. Was Ushiromiya Eva a cruel woman, or a tragic one? Was Ushiromiya Kyrie a cold hearted person, on just really good at weighing the odds? Was Rudolf sociable or a man-whore, and was Krauss eager or an incompetent? No one could truly say they knew which side is these people was their true face, or even if neither were. More than likely though, both sides held some semblance of truth.

The powers that exist beyond the veil of this cat-box can, through some effort, bring these pieces that resemble people into their world. It was not a common occurrence, but it was something that certain beings, witches, had a fondness of doing from time to time.

But, when a piece is plucked from the board, what is left in its wake? Does the void get filled in by a copy, or is that person removed from existence until further stated?

Some questions are just not for mortals to understand.

* * *

  
  


Turbulent waves. Howling winds. Rain that struck the skin like spears. The once calm oceans had long since turned violent by the weather. No sane person would have gone out at sea in this area, knowing that a typhoon was going to hit.

Of course, try telling that to the owner of the now sunk luxury ship Eternal Maid II. Damn rich people, thinking they're immune to nature.

A young girl with blue hair desperately tried to keep her head above water. She had little more to her name than her swimsuit and a life jacket, yet she desperately struggled for dear life.

Her hand, flailing though it was, managed to grab hold of something floating by. Thinking herself save by a flotation ring, she tried to prop herself up on it.

Only it wasn't one. After all, flotation rings don't come shaped as a human. Nor did they have faces that spoke of abject terror.

She screamed, pushing away from the body, only to get caught up in another wave and dragged under.

She was going to die. That was the only thought she could create, alongside 'I don't want to die'.

Quite the natural combination, wouldn't you say?

* * *

  
  


October 4th, 1986. Rokkenjima. 5:26pm.

The wind down by the beach was starting to pick up heavily. The five youth people were in the process of deciding that now was as good a time as any to go back to the guest house.

“Come on, we should head back now,” the oldest of them, a young man name Ushiromiya George, said. “Otherwise we'll get absolutely drenched.”

“Kinda a shame, really,” one of the second oldest, one Ushiromiya Battler, said as he looked out to the darkening horizon. “Been gone six years, and the time I'd like to spend enjoying the beach just had to be cut short, huh?”

“Nothin' you can do about it,” the other second older, Jessica, replied. “Besides, when the storm passes, we'll still have some time to enjoy the beach. Until then, it'll just have to be card games and board games!”

“Uu!” the youngest, a girl named Maria, shouted. “Wanna play Old Maid!”

The last person present, and the only one not directly related to the Ushiromiya family by blood, giggled slightly. “It does sound like fun,” Shannon said.

“Will you be joining us for it, Shannon?” George asked, adjusting his glasses. He carried a warm smile as he said that, which caused the maid to blush somewhat.

“Well, um... that is...” Shannon stuttered out.

The others laughed earnestly. The bond between those two was so strong, it was positively palpable.

Battler gave a small chuckle. Seeing such warm feeling would bring a smile to just about anyone's face.

Then, on the edge of his hearing, his ears perked up.

It was the sounds of impeded waves, like something large had just washed ashore. He looked down the length of the beach as the others continued to leave, and froze in shock.

“O... oi oi, are you kidding me?” he asked out loud. He turned to call for the others, yet they had already left. Talk about rude.

Putting that aside for now, though, Battler ran towards the thing -nay, the person- that had washed ashore.

A girl, short and lithe, yet he estimated she was roughly his age. She had long blue hair, and wore little more than a one-piece swimsuit and a life jacket. He placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to shake her awake, and found her skin like ice to the touch.

“Oi! Can you hear me?!” Battler shouted, lightly shaking her. No response, but when he turned her over, he noted that she was, at the very least, still breathing.

Fighting the urge to let his eyes wander, Battler stripped off his jacket, and wrapped it around the girl as best he could.

“You just hold on, okay?” he said, picking the girl up bridal style. “I'll get you help.”

* * *

  
  


When the cousins + Shannon reached the rose garden, Maria looked around in confusion.

“Uu. Battler's missing,” she said.

“He is?” George asked, doing a quick spot check. “Huh. Wonder what happened.”

“Maybe he's just getting one last look at the ocean,” Jessica offered. “It has been six years since he last saw it from here.”

“Uu. Wanna go back for him,” Maria stated.

“Now, Maria-sama,” Shannon said softly. “I'm sure Battler-sama will catch up to us quickly enough. For now, we should head back inside, and...”

“Uu, uu! Go back for Battler!” Maria shouted, stomping her foot.

“Maria, please,” George tried to console the young girl, to little effect.

At that point, Maria's mother, Ushiromiya Rosa, came up to them from the main mansion. “Is everything alright?” she asked. “What happened to Battler?”

“We think he might have just hung back for a moment,” George answered.

“Although, Maria's acting like the tide'll drag him away,” Jessica added.

“Uu! Uu!” Maria shouted again. “Go back for Battler!”

“Now, Maria,” Rosa scolded softly. “There's no need to yell about it. How about you and I go back for him, then?”

This seemed to calm Maria down somewhat. “Uu... you promise?”

Rosa made sure to give a warm smile. “Of course I promise.” At the very least, it would calm her down a bit.

Then, they heard rushed footsteps. All eyes turned back down the pathway, and saw Battler running towards them, a panicked look in his eyes, and a girl wrapped in his now damp jacket.

“What the...” George stuttered out. “Battler, what happened?”

Battler screeched to a halt, though his feet never stayed on the ground for longer than a second. “Dunno! Found her further down the beach! Musta been shipwrecked or something! Can't talk, though; gotta get to the doctor!”

Without another word, Battler ran off again, leaving a comically large cloud of dust in his wake.

Rosa was quick to regain her bearings. “Geogre, Jessica,” she quickly said, “go with him and get the doors he needs. I'm sure Battler's going to need all the hands he can get.”

Both stammered out their replies, before quickly running off to catch up with their cousin.

Then, all that was left was Shannon, Rosa, and Maria.

“Who... do you suppose that girl was?” Shannon asked.

“Only time will tell, I suppose,” Rosa answered. “Sorry, Shannon, but could you go and inform Father about this? I tell the rest of the family about it.”

“Of course, Rosa-sama,” Shannon said with a bow, before going on her way.

Maria looked up at her mother, and noticed the worried expression on her face. “Uu? What's wrong, Mama?”

Rosa's expression quickly shifted back to cheerful. “Oh, it's nothing, Maria,” she said. “I'm just somewhat worried about that girl.”

“Does Battler know her?”

“I don't think so,” Rosa answered. “But, he was concerned none-the-less.” She gave a small smile as she took Maria's hand. “That just means Battler is the sort of guy who cares a lot.”

“Uu!” Maria cheered. “Battler's a good guy!”

Rosa smiled happily. “Yes. He really is, isn't he?”

* * *

  
  


“Give it to us straight, doc,” Battler said, directing his gaze to Doctor Nanjo Terumasa. “How bad is it?”

Nanjo removed the stethoscope from his ears, and breathed a small sigh. “Well, her life's not in any danger, at any rate,” he said. “A mild case of hypothermia, maybe, and from the sounds of it, there's a little water in her lungs, but otherwise, she'll pull through.

Battler let out the breath he had been holding. “That's a relief,” he said. “It'd certainly be a depressing few days if we were trapped here with a washed up dead girl.”

“A bit... morbid, that thought,” Nanjo added, “but not untrue. Until the coming storm passes on the 6th, we're effectively trapped here.”

“Geez, doc. Don't make it sound like a mystery novel,” Jessica said. “Still, who do you think this girl is?”

“Erika,” Nanjo answered.

George raised a brow curiously. “How do you know that?”

“It was written on her swimsuit,” he stated plainly. “Battler wouldn't have noticed it through the life vest she was wearing.”

“Erika, huh?” Battler muttered. “Wonder what happened to bring her here.”

Then, the body that belonged to the girl called Erika began to cough violently. It turned to the side, and sea water came out in sprays.

“Easy there, easy,” Nanjo consoled. “Just take deep breaths, now. You're going to be alright.”

The girl looked up through hazy eyes, the sort that one would generally attribute to a corpse on a good day. Those eyes met with Nanjo's gaze, and the girl jolted upright, and flung herself back in fear.

A misplaced hand, however, caused her to almost fall off the couch, had Battler not been quick on his feet and caught her.

“It's alright,” Battler said as gently as he could. “You're safe now. We're not going to hurt you.”

The girl looked up at Battler, and, for just split moment, their eyes met and looked as if they recognised the other. This look lasted for all of a fraction of a second; not enough even for them to realise it existed.

“I...” the girl stammered weakly. “Who are you? Where am I?”

Battler helped her back onto the couch. “Name's Battler,” he answered. “Ushiromiya Battler. Those two by the door are my cousins, George and Jessica, and the old guy is Doctor Nanjo. You're on Rokkenjima island right now, in the Izu archipelago. What about you? Do you recall how you got here?”

“How I... got here,” the girl muttered. “I... I don't... remember.”

“Don't remember?” Nanjo repeated. “Then, can you tell us anything you do recall?”

“I...” the girl tried to recall something. Anything, really. Her expression quickly shifted from concern, through fear, and eventually into terror. “Who... who am I?” she asked. “I can't... I can't remember anything!”

The girl clutched her head, her breathing quickly becoming unsteady. “Whoa! Easy, easy!” Battler said in a panic. “Calm down, it'll be alright! Just... take some deep breaths, okay?”

The girl, quite suddenly, found herself wrapped in Battler's arms. It was a warm, comforting feeling, that helped to calm her down considerably.

“Full blown amnesia?” George guessed. “Whatever happened to her must've been quite the shock.”

“Yeah, no kidding, Captain Obvious,” Jessica snarked. “Battler, we'll leave this to you and the doc, okay?”

Without even waiting for a response, Jessica and George left the room.

“Yeah, thanks for not a lot, you two,” Battler said bitterly.

“Now now, Battler,” Nanjo said. “I'm sure they'd help as much as they could, given the opportunity.”

Battler suppressed a small sigh. “Yeah, you're right.”

* * *

  
  


Within the family head's study, Ushiromiya Kinzo sat on the edge of the desk as he read, a pensive look on his old, weary face.

There was a knock at the door. “Who approaches?” Kinzo said.

“It is Shannon, sir,” the person on the other side of the door said.

Kinzo reached down, and pressed a button underneath his desk. A series of heavy 'clanks' echoed through the room. “You man enter.”

The door creaked open, and the maid stepped in, bowing politely as she did.

“State your business, Shannon,” Kinzo ordered. “Are those children of mine bickering once more for me to tear myself from my studies?”

“No, sir,” Shannon answered. “There has been an unusual development; a stranger has washed ashore on Rokkenjima.”

This, certainly, got the family head's attention. “A stranger, you say?” he asked. “What can you tell me of them?”

“A young girl, around Battler-sama's age, sir,” Shannon replied. “He and Doctor Nanjo are currently looking after her in one of the guest rooms.”

“And was Battler the one to find her?”

“Yes sir. It was just after the cousins had left the beach. Battler-sama had hung back a moment longer and found her.”

“I see.” Kinzo had a strange smirk on his face. One that spoke of both pride and malicious thoughts. “Be on your way, then. I am sure our new guest would appreciate more delicate company.”

Shannon bowed, and left the study. The door closed with a heavy thud, and the locking mechanism made its usual noise.

“So, we have one new piece on the board,” Kinzo muttered. “With that, we have 19 names to this game.” From his desk, Kinzo pulled out a deck of Tarot cards. After shuffling the deck thoroughly, he drew the top six cards. Then, he smirked.

* * *

  
  


After a few minutes, the girl had finally calmed down enough. She now sat on the couch with two large towels wrapped around her body for warmth.

“Well, that's one crisis averted, at least,” Battler said. “If that had gone into a full blown panic attack, I don't know what I would have done.”

“Yes, thank goodness my dread didn't turn into something like that,” the girl snarked, before shaking her head. “I... apologise for that display.”

“It's fine, it's fine!” Battler said. “Heck, if I were in your position, I'd be pretty panicky too.”

“Indeed. Memory loss in a big deal,” Nanjo added. “What matters most right now is that we'll help you through this, Erika.”

“Erika?” the girl repeated.

“Ah, it was the name written on your swimsuit,” Nanjo explained. “While it doesn't give us much to go on, or confirm it's your name, it's certainly better than nothing.”

The girl looked down at her swimsuit, and confirmed that the name 'Erika' was written on its chest. Rather than being intrigued by it, though, she quickly drew the towels back around her body and glared at the doctor. “Perv.”

This caused two things to happen: First, Nanjo's jaw dropped in disbelief. Second, Battler broke down laughing.

“Oh man, she's got quite the personality to her,” he wheezed out, before noticing that she was now glaring at him. “Oi, oi. Twas not I who accidentally ogled!”

A brief pause, and Erika finally laugh. “You are... remarkably idiotic, you know that?” she said, her tone seeming to indicate that it was a redeeming feature of his.

Battler, for his part, didn't seem insulted, at the very least. “Why thank you,” he said. “It takes actual effort to sound this dumb.”

Just then, the door opened, and Shannon walked in with a set of clothes in her arms. “Ah, she is awake, then?” she asked, smiling warmly.

“Yeah, though there were a few scares here and there,” Battler answered. “Erika, meet Shannon, one of the servants working here. Shannon, meet Erika; that is literally all we think we know about her.”

Shannon gave Erika a bow. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Erika-sama,” she said politely.

“Ah, yes... likewise,” Erika responded hesitantly. “Um, Battler? You said she was 'one' of the servants? Just how rich is your family?”

“Stupidly rich, I'll say that much,” Battler answered. Then, he and Nanjo rose to their feet. “Well, us guys'll get out of the way now. I doubt you'd want us around while changing into something warmer.”

As if to emphasise the 'warmer' part, Erika sneezed. “Yes. That would be... appreciated.”

* * *

  
  


Battler and Nanjo entered the parlour, where the rest of the family was found waiting for them.

“Yo, Battler!” Ushiromiya Rudolf, Battler's father, called out. “We've heard your sleeping beauty awoken.”

“Could ya at least try to sound serious, old man?” Battler said back.

“Still, it's a relief all the same,” Ushiromiya Natsuhi, Battler's aunt and Jessica's mother, said. “Were you able to figure out what happened to her?”

“Unfortunately not,” Nanjo answered. “In fact, she might be more clueless than we are. The shock of whatever happened to her seems to have robbed her of all her memories.”

“Doctor Nanjo,” Battler's last remaining aunt, Ushiromiya Eva, spoke next, “I'm really hoping that when you say 'all her memories', you're only referring to the memories of the incident.”

“Unfortunately, saying that is not in my power,” Nanjo said regretfully. “We were only able to figure out her name because it was on her attire.”

“So it's that bad, then?” Battler's (step) mother, Kyrie, asked. “What a sad turn of events.”

“Indeed,” Jessica's father, Krauss, added. “One shudders to imagine just what might have happened to this child.”

“I'm certainly with ya on that one,” George's father, Hideyoshi, said. “So, what's the lass's name, anyway?”

“Erika,” Battler answered.

Maria looked up from her seat in front of the TV. “Uu? Is that our new friends name?” she asked.

George knelt down beside Maria and smiled. “It is,” he said warmly. “It is the name of our new friend, who will be staying with us for our time here.”

“But, they said her memory was gone,” Maria said. “Won't she be sad without it? Can't Maria help her?”

“That's...” George paused, unsure of how to broach the subject.

“You're not wrong, Maria,” Rosa said, taking over the conversation flawlessly. “There's no doubt that our new friend will be feeling rather scared. There might not be anything we can do to fix her memories, but,” she gave her daughter a warm smile, “we can at least help her feel warm and safe here, right?”

Maria, for her part, liked this idea a whole lot, as she 'uu'd happily. Rosa shared a look with George and Battler, and the three shot each other a thumbs up.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

“It's Shannon,” the knocker said. “I have brought Erika-sama to meet everyone.”

“Moment of truth, then,” Rudolf commented slyly. “Let's see just what sort of babe Battler managed to pick up.”

The door opened just as Battler punched his father in the face. It wasn't an angry punch, but it was dramatic.

And Erika managed to see the whole thing. “Domestic violence!?” she shouted.

This reaction, naturally, got a laugh out of almost everyone in the room.

“Nah, it's not nearly that bad,” Battler said, rubbing the back of his head. “It's more just that that old man of mine needs to be taught his lessons physically at times.”

Battler took note of Erika's new appearance, and made a mental note to congratulate Shannon at a later point for a job well done.

Erika's hair was now done up in twintails, adorned with a small pink and white ribbon with roses on it. She now wore a frilly pink and white dress, complemented with a pair of dark pin (maroon? Magenta?) stockings. All in all, it was a look that seemed pretty natural on her.

“Ah! I remember that dress,” Jessica exclaimed. “Man, that takes me back. Glad to see it's getting some use out of it.”

“Oh, so these are your old clothes?” Erika asked. “I do apologise for wearing them without your permission, miss... Jessica, correct?”

“It's no biggie, really!” Jessica brushed off. “I mean, it's not like I'd be able to fit in them again.”

Rudolf, who had, at some point, gotten off the floor, suddenly wrapped his arm around Erika's shoulders. “So, this is our little mermaid, then?” he said coyly. “Not a bad catch, Battler! Hell, if she were a little order, then I might have to call you my rival!”

Barely a second after his comment, Battler and Kyrie drop-kicked him. It was a beautiful display of martial prowess and mother-son coordination, to be able to so perfectly slam two pairs of feet into Rudolf's face and gut, sending him flying out of the room, without so much as moving a hair on Erika's head.

“Keep that sort of thing to yourself, you horny bastard!” Battler shouted.

“Rudolf, we've talked about this behaviour of yours,” Kyrie scolded.

Erika watched the scene with a certain level of disbelief. “Is... this sort of thing normal for them?” she asked.

“Battler and uncle Rudolf were estranged for a while,” George answered. “The two of them fight more like brothers than father and son.”

“Yeah, and aunt Kyrie has to mediate between the two of them,” Jessica added. “Kinda gotta feels sorry for Ange, having to deal with two idiots for family members.”

Erika watched the family with renewed interest. The way they acted was... unique, to say the least, but it felt natural for them.

A small tugging on her sleeve drew Erika's attention downwards, to the small brown haired girl.

“Um, hello?” she said weakly. “You are...”

“Maria,” the girl said.

“Maria,” Erika repeated. “It's a nice name. Is there something I can help you with?”

Erika knelt down to be eye-level with Maria. Maria, in turn, quickly wrapped her arms around Erika, catching the blue haired girl by surprise.

“Uu! Maria will keep you safe!” she said happily.

This, at the very least, gave Erika a warm, fuzzy feeling.

There was a new knock on the door. “It is Genji,” an aged voice said. “I have come to inform all that dinner is now ready. If you would all come to the dining hall.”

“Ah, it's finally time,” Krauss stated. “Very well, everyone, we shall relocate to the dining hall.”

* * *

  
  


The path to the dining hall was simple and straight forward, taking the family through the main foyer. There, Erika laid her eyes on something that made her blood run cold for a brief second.

It was a portrait. One of a remarkably beautiful woman with blonde hair, dressed in an off-black dress that had orange-gold detailing and white ruffles. Generally speaking, it was a very nice portrait of a very good looking woman, but something about it was... off. Unnatural, in a way.

“Uu! Beatrice!” Maria said eagerly.

“Beatrice?” Erika asked, the pang of a distant memory in the back of her mind. “Who is that? A distant relative of yours?”

“Heh, who knows about that,” Battler commented. “All we've ever been told is that she's the thousand year old witch that lives in the forest here.”

“We've got a bit of a bet pool about how Gramps knows her, though,” Jessica stated. “Most of us think she was his mistress at some point.”

“Uu, uu! Beatrice is a witch!” Maria shouted at Jessica. “And she 'exists'!”

“Got it, got it,” Battler said, ruffling Maria's hair. “Leave it to her second biggest fan to confirm it, right behind Gramps.”

Maria pouted in response, and simply continued to walk on, followed by George and Jessica, leaving only Battler and Erika at the portrait.

“Bea...trice,” Erika muttered. What was this strange feeling she was getting from this portrait? It didn't feel like a memory, but then again, did anyone truly know what memories felt like? Shaking her head, Erika finally took notice of the small golden plaque by the base of the portait.

“Ah, the epitaph,” Battler said, noticing where her gaze went. “The current theory on that is that it's a clue to where Grandfather hid his ten tonnes of gold.”

That number caused Erika to stammer quite significantly. “T... ten tonnes?!” she shouted. “As in, ten metric tonnes? That's...” she quickly ran the numbers in her head, “roughly 20 billion yen! Is that gold where your family got its wealth from?”

“Dunno,” Battler answered. “No one's ever really figured out of the gold's just metaphorical or not. All we do know is that Grandfather managed to pull the family back together several decades ago, after the Ushiromiya family fell to ruin around the time of the second world war.”

“To have managed all that,” Erika muttered. “Your grandfather must be one shrewd business man.”

“Yeah. He's also an absolute occult nut,” Battler added. “So, feel like taking a crack at the epitaph?”

“I apologise, but I must pass on that,” Erika answered. “I'm afraid I know too little about the Ushiromiya name to be able to figure anything out.”

“Fair enough,” Battler conceded. “Well, we best not keep the others waiting, yeah?”

Before Erika could respond, Battler picked her up once more, and broke off running.

Battler was simply enjoying himself. Erika was quite flustered by the turn of events. Neither noticed the single golden butterfly that observed them from the window.

* * *

  
  


Dinner for the Ushiromiya family was, simply put, a grandiose event, helped largely in part of the fact that their chef was a five-star worthy one, going by the name Toshiro Gohda.

During this dinner, Erika was made acquainted with a few more individuals. Including Gohda the chef, there was three other servants present, being the old and wise Genji, the older and more playful Kumasawa, and the younger and quieter Kanon.

There was something... off, about Kanon, Erika noted. She felt, somehow, like she had seen the young boy before as of recent, but that was impossible, right?

Considering Gohda had only prepared enough food for the twelve members of the Ushiromiya family and Nanjo, making thirteen, Erika wasn't quite able to sample a full course of Gohda's cooking, although Nanjo had been kind enough to share some of his share.

Instead, though, Kumasawa had been quick enough to put together a decently sized Japanese meal for her. Most of it was mackerel. Still, it was very delicious.

At the same time, though, Erika learnt something new about herself: she really, _really_ liked chopsticks.

The feel of them in her hand, the finesse, the dexterity needed for them in comparison to a fork. It was... she didn't think she knew a word to describe just how she felt holding them.

Well, she _could_ think of one word to describe the feeling, but it wasn't one she would say out loud (hint; it's synonymous with 'arousal').

Then, Gohda returned from the kitchen once more, pushing along a trolley with a covered dish.

“I trust your meals were to your expectations, ladies and gentlemen?” he said theatrically. Erika picked up the smallest glint of guilt in his eyes when Gohda glanced her way. In response, she gave a warm and kind smile, assuring him that she held no ill will about anything. “Now, allow me to present dessert to you all,” Gohda continued. “To round off our night, I have prepared a blueberry and vanilla cake, topped with a lemon flavoured curd.”

The description alone was enough to get everyone excited about the dessert. Gohda removed the tray cover... and the shocked expressions that followed were _not_ in relation to the cake.

Gohda looked down at the tray, and saw, lying neatly beside his cake, was a letter.

“That's...” Gohda stuttered out. “That wasn't there before!”

A strange murmur filled the hall. “Hand the letter over, quickly!” Natsuhi demanded. Gohda grabbed the letter and passed it over to Natsuhi, yet the sudden spike in nerves caused one of them to fumble it, causing it to drop to the ground.

Battler was quick to catch it though. “Got it!” Battler called out.

Natsuhi let out a small sigh of relief. “Quite a display, I must say,” Eva said rather arrogantly. “Are you _sure_ Gohda didn't hide that preemptively?”

“How rude!” Natsuhi shot back. “I do not like how you're insinuating Gohda or myself in this... tasteless prank!”

“Come on, you two, let's calm down,” Rudolf interjected. “Battler, perhaps you could take a look at it for us?”

“Sure thing,” Battler called back as he examined the letter. The edges of the envelop were trimmed with gold leaf, which styled itself into the Ushiromiya family crest, the One Winged Eagle.

What stood out to him most, though, was the wax seal.

“Oi,” Battler spoke up, “the wax seal... It's got the family crest on it.”

“What?” Krauss muttered. “Then, either this is a _very_ elaborate prank, or...”

Erika was the only one confused by that statement. “Doctor?” she whispered quietly to Nanjo. “What is it about the seal that's got them so spooked?”

“The wax seal having the family crest can only mean it was sealed with Kinzo's ring,” Nanjo answered. “For someone to have faked it, they would have had to either remove the wax seal from an already used letter, or resealed on, neither of which would be easy without any obvious signs.”

Battler took a deep breath. “Okay. I'm gonna open it.” With a flick of his nail, the wax seal broke, and he took the contents of the letter out.

Battler cleared his throat, and began to read.

“Dear Ushiromiya family,” he said. “I am Beatrice. I have served as Kinzo and the Ushiromiya families alchemist for many years, until today. Today, Kinzo has announced the end of our decades long contract, and thus, I must inform you all of a certain part of that contract.

Firstly, it is true; I did indeed loan ten tonnes of gold to Kinzo. Now, with the end of our contract, I shall be reclaiming what is mine, with interest. All that is part of the Ushiromiya family shall be claimed as such. No doubt, you all are lamenting that idea, but there is one chance for you all.

Beneath my portrait in the foyer, there is an epitaph. What many of you no doubt think to this day is true; that is a clue to where the gold is hidden.

Your job, should you wish to keep what belongs to the Ushiromiya name, is to solve the epitaph.

I have already begun my claim to the family wealth; merely look at the wax seal on the envelop to confirm that I am now in possession of the head's ring.

I wonder if any of you will be able to come out on top in this game?

From your beloved, eternal, Golden Witch,

Beatrice.”

Battler let out a sigh, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Battler,” Hideyoshi spoke up first. “That... that was jus' some good improvin', right?”

“You can read it yourself if you want,” Battler responded, holding the letter out. “I promise, it's exactly as I read it.”

Eva took the letter from Battler, and the adults all seemed to gather around her, reading over her shoulder.

Erika took note on how the rest of the cousins reacted to it. Jessica and George both seemed rather off put by it, while Maria seemed... giddy?

“Uu! Beatrice!” she exclaimed. “She's gonna guide us to the Golden Land!”

“Golden Land?” Erika asked. She recalled reading that on the Epitaph.

Gradually, the adults seemed to become more and more aggravated. This seemed to annoy Battler greatly, at the very least. “George, Jessica, Maria, Erika,” he said. “Let's get out of here. I don't think any of us want to be around for this shit show.”

George and Jessica nodded, while Maria gave a small, pouty 'uu' in response. Erika and Nanjo, being the two most outside the issue, followed them.

* * *

  
  


Hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Those that had left the dining hall early, now joined by Shannon, had taken refuge in the main lobby of the guest house, and simply sat down and played games.

Card games, board games, if it was a game of some kind, they played it. After two hours, Nanjo had retired to his room for the night. By roughly 11:30pm, Maria had dozed off, using Erika's legs as a makeshift pillow.

“Look's like Maria's finally run out of steam,” George commented. “I have to say, I'm surprise at how taken she is to you, Erika.”

“Indeed,” Erika agreed. “It's... kind of strange.” She couldn't quite put into words what she was feeling right now. The fact that this childishly innocent girl had chosen to, at the drop of a hat, declare herself Erika's guardian was, strangely enough, warming to her.

At that point, though, she noticed the other cousins looking at her with concern written all over their faces. “Erika?” Jessica spoke first. “You... you doing alright?”

Erika tilted her head quizzingly. “As... much as I can be. Why?”

“Well, it's just that...” Battler's voice trailed off slightly. “It's... that you're crying.”

Erika placed a finger just below her left eye, and confirmed Battler's statement. “I... why am I..?” Erika stammered out. Then, as per the unwritten law of observation, now that she knew she was crying, the dam burst.

She truly didn't know why she was crying. Perhaps it was something residual from before her amnesia. But right here, right now, she just seemed to be relieved that there were people here that was just... looking out for her unconditionally.

Could this... be what love is?

* * *

  
  


After about ten minutes, Erika had ended up falling asleep, which left the others to carry her and Maria up to one of the guest rooms.

Gently, Battler and Jessica put the two down on the same bed. Might as well keep the two together, after all.

“Man, those two make a cute pair, huh?” Jessica whispered.

“Yeah,” Battler agreed. “You'd think Erika was just a normal kid, being next to Maria like this.”

“Too right,” Jessica said. “You know, I was kinda afraid Erika might end up being a stuck up know it all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno exactly,” she admitted. “It's just... when I first saw her, I had the impression that she'd be one of those super smart people that really liked to rub the fact in peoples faces.”

“An 'intellectual rapist', I'm familiar with the term,” Battler said, as the two saw themselves out of the room. “You know, a part of me had that same feeling. But, considering how I found her, I just kinda had to put that aside.”

“And good thing, too!”

Battler looked around the hall, finally noticing something was missing. “Say, where's George and Shannon?”

“Oh, them? They snuck off a while ago,” Jessica answered. “In fact... I'm pretty sure George is planning to pop the big question.”

“Really?” Battler asked in surprise. “Well, good on him! Leave it to George to actually get that far!”

“You said it,” Jessica stated. “So, what now? Should we just call it a night?”

“Actually, I was thinking of heading back to the mansion,” Battler said. “See if our folks have finally wrapped up or not.”

“Really? Colour me surprised,” Jessica replied. “Well, in that case, we'll see ya in the morning, then.”

“Yeah,” Battler replied, as he started heading down stairs. “I'll see ya then!”

The clock was now ten minutes to midnight.


	2. The Chalice of God

Battler made it to the front door of the mansion in roughly five minutes. He had made a point of getting there quickly, so as not to accidentally spot George and Shannon. Those two deserved their privacy right now.

Battler opened the door, and let himself inside. This was the first time he could recall being out of bed in the mansion around midnight, and he had to say, it was like an entirely different world. The halls seemed to breathe with an unnatural energy.

“Ooo, spooky,” Battler mumbled. “I can just imagine the witch jumping out from the portrait in this atmosphere.”

There was a slow creaking, and the door behind him slammed shut, startling him greatly.

“Ihihihi, nicely done there,” he muttered. “Certainly know how to set the mood, huh?”

Off to the side, the sound of a door opening and closing was heard, followed by a set of footsteps.

“Battler-sama?” a young voice said. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh! Kanon,” Battler exclaimed. “I'm just here to see if those old fogs have finished up or not.”

“I see,” Kanon muttered. “There was really no need for you to do so, Battler-sama.”

“Maybe, but I'm still a bit wired after today,” Battler laughed. “They still in the dining hall?”

“To my knowledge,” Kanon said with a bow. “This way.”

* * *

  
  


The walk to the dining hall was long and, more to the point, awkward. Battler hadn't exactly had the chance to talk with Kanon before, so trying to strike up a conversation was difficult, to say the least.

“So, uh...” Battler tried to start. “What sorts of things do you do on your days off?”

“Nothing,” Kanon answered immediately. “I work to live, and I live to work. That is how furniture should be.”

Furniture. Battler was pretty sure he'd heard Kanon and Shannon refer to themselves as such. “Oi. Ain't that just sad?” he asked. “Living on as a tool. How can you stand that?” Kanon didn't answer, so Battler pushed the subject a little further. “Furniture is wood, fabric, and metal. Humans are flesh, blood, and spirit. I have flesh, blood, and spirit, so therefore, I am human. 'I think, therefore I am', right?”

“Battler-sama, where are you going with this?”

“Simple.” Battler pivoted, and put a finger on Kanon's forehead. “You're flesh, blood, and spirit, just like I am. Therefore, aren't you human?”

Kanon looked taken aback by Battler's declaration. “I... I wouldn't expect Battler-sama to understand the nuances of it,” he said weakly.

“Look, if you try to call yourself furniture again,” Battler said, putting his hands on his hips, “I will, without fail, flick you in the forehead. Got it?”

The walk continued in silence, until the two finally arrived at the dining hall. Battler opened the door himself, and was surprised... by the sheer lack of people present.

In fact, there were only three in there, not counting their arrival: Rosa, Kyrie, and Kumasawa.

“Ah, Battler,” Kyrie said, holding up a cup of coffee. “Something bothering you? I wasn't expecting you to still be up.”

“Actually, I here to make sure you guys are getting to bed on time,” Battler laughed. “So, where'd everyone else go?”

“We relocated to the parlour for a while,” Rosa answered, as Kumasawa gave her a shoulder massage. “About half an hour ago, Kyrie and I broke off to take a breather. Rudolf, Krauss, and Eva were really going at it when we left.”

“Indeed,” Kumasawa added. “Krauss-sama and the others tend to get the most passionate when it comes down to it.” Then, she removed her hands from Rosa. “How is that, Rosa-sama? All better?”

“Yes. Thank you very much, Kumasawa,” Rosa said gratefully.

There was a faint sound from down the hall. Battler was pretty sure it was a closing door.

“Oh, by the way, Battler,” Kyrie spoke up, catching the young mans attention. “Would you happen to know why Rudolf was acting so strangely today?”

“Strange? My old man?” Battler asked. “You're gonna need to be more specific about that.”

Kyrie laughed a little at that. “Fair enough. What I mean is, around 10:25, we took a small break, and during that, he said he 'wanted the three of us to talk about something, as a family',” she explained. “He also said that... he thinks he might get killed tonight.”

Battler felt his blood run could. “Oi oi. You sure he wasn't joking around?”

“With that look in his eyes? No, I don't think so.”

A strange chill entered the room. Battler, desperate to get rid of it, quickly changed the subject. “Oh, yeah! By the way, aunt Rosa, Maria's gone and claimed Erika as her sleeping partner tonight!”

Like a pro.

“Is that so?” Rosa commented. “I'm glad, at least. You know, Maria generally has a hard time making friends.”

“Really?” Kyrie asked, casting a thankful glance Battler's way. “I imagine it must be hard on you, raising a girl like that.”

“It's exhausting, really,” Rosa admitted. “Maria's easily one of the kindest kids her age, but that comes with a certain degree of naivete. I worry that, come the time she's an adult, she'll be easily swindled.”

Everyone present seemed to pick up on the unspoken 'just like me' that hung in the air.

“It'll be fine!” Battler stated. “After all, we're all here! And if that's not enough, then...” he had a mischievous grin to him at this point, “perhaps we could call on our favourite witch?”

This, at the very least caused the other to laugh a bit. Just then, a side door opened, and Krauss stepped in.

“Oh?” he said in mild surprise. “Are we all still here? I was under the impression that everyone had gone back to the guest house.”

“Just making sure you adults are behaving yourselves,” Battler said whimsically. “I'm guessing that door a minute ago was them leaving?”

“Indeed. You just missed them,” Krauss answered.

Then, the clock stuck midnight, its chimes echoing through the house.

“Guess we should probably head out too, then,” Battler commented. He turned to open the door, but...

'Clck click'.

“Eh?” Battler questioned. “Kanon, did you lock the door behind us?”

“Battler-sama, why would I do that?” Kanon asked.

“Right, good point,” he replied. “Must have knocked it at some point, I guess.”

Battler turned the latch that should have, technically, unlocked the door. However...

'Clck click'.

“Eh? It's still locked?”

“Strange. Perhaps the lock is rusty,” Krauss suggested. “Let's go out through the kitchen, then. I did just come in that way.” He turned to open the door behind him, only...

'Clck click'.

That sound, being played for a third time, caused their blood to run cold. “Oi. You serious?” Battler asked. “Did... did someone barricade the doors as a prank?”

Just about everyone tried to open the doors in their own way, save for Kanon, who had a look of terror on his face. “No. It couldn't be,” he muttered.

“Kanon, do you know something about this?” Krauss asked. “If so, then please, tell us.”

“K... Kanon, you don't think it's...” Kumasawa stuttered out. “O... oooohh, this is bad.”

“K... Kumasawa, please calm down,” Rosa said, starting to panic a bit herself.

“The roulette... it's chosen its first victims,” Kanon said darkly.

“Roulette? What do you mean?” Kyrie asked.

“The devil's roulette. The means that Kinzo-sama intends to use to resurrect Beatrice,” Kanon explained. “No doubt, it has chosen its first six victims.”

“First... six?” Kyrie asked. “You mean... us?”

Battler shoulder-tackled the door. “Don't kid with me!” he shouted. “Like hell I'm gonna let anyone die because of some fake witch!”

Then, through the keyhole, they heard Something. A low, long, whistling sound, like an arrow flying through the air.

Instincts quickly took over, and Kanon yelled. “Everyone! Away from the door!”

Battler quickly dived out of the way, as a golden light phased through the wood, curved unnaturally through the air, and struck the table.

Rosa backed herself into a corner, trembling in fear. “What... what was that?!”

“Pukukuku,” a new voice laughed elegantly. “I must say, lords and ladies, that was a splendid dodge.”

Everyone turned to the other side of the room, to see an elegant butler with black hair that had distinctly _not been there before_.

“What?” Krauss asked. “Who are you?!”

“I apologise for my late introduction, Krauss-sama,” the butler bowed. “I am Ronove, furniture to the great witch Beatrice. A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance.”

“Right, sure,” Battler commented sarcastically. “And I'm president of Zimbabwe. How'd you get in here?”

“Why, I was always here, Battler-sama,” Ronove answered. “As for the inevitable 'why' question, let's say I am... one of the executioners tonight.”

“Executioner?” Krauss asked.

“One of?” Kyrie added.

Kanon felt a shiver down his spine, and jumped into action. “Rosa-sama, move!” he shouted, pushing her aside.

Another beam of light snaked through the door, and tore through the air that Rosa previously inhabited. Unfortunately, that space was now taken up by Kanon himself.

The light tore through Kanon's chest, obliterating just about everything on his left side, and sending his left arm careening across the room.

Kumasawa let out a shrilled, terrified scream, as the light bent and impossible angels and erased her entire torso.

“K...” Battler stuttered. “Kanon! Kumasawa!”

“What... what on earth?” Rosa barely managed to say. “What is going on?!”

“Hmm. Fine shooting from the Chiester Sisters,” Ronove commented. “Well, I suppose I should take my turn, then.”

“J... just try it!” Krauss shouted, shifting his stance into that of a boxer. “I may not understand just how you're doing this, but I'll be damned if I let you kill anyone else!”

Ronove vanished in the blink of an eye, appearing behind Krauss and, with an almost effortless thrust of his hand, tore a hole in his chest.

“K... Krauss!” Kyrie shouted. This, from their perspective, could have been seen as a mistake, as the light once again entered the room, seeking her out, and separating everything from the waist down.

“Kyrie!” Battler cried, as Rosa frantically tried to open one of the other doors. Biting back tears, Battler grabbed the nearest chair, and swung it at Ronove.

The butler, however, caught it easily. “You know, Battler-sama,” he said. “You were the one I was most worried about having to take on.”

“Oh yeah? Scared of a little mano-a-mano, you bastard!?”

“Not at all,” Ronove laughed. “In fact, I'm quite handy in a scrap. No, my worry comes more from your 'ability'.”

“Ability?”

“Yes. The 'Endless Nine'. You, out of everyone here, are the only one the Chiester Sisters can't snipe.”

“Oh yeah? Then how do you plan on beating me?” Battler asked, trying to tear the chair from Ronove's iron grip.

“Simple. Like this.”

The leg of the chair broke off, and with the elegance of a pianist, Ronove rammed the jagged end through Battler's neck, and with a twist, removed the young man's head.

When she heard the thud, Rosa made the poor decision of turning around. At this point, she couldn't even scream.

“Chiester 00 to Ronove,” a voice unconnected to any person said. “How would you like to proceed?”

“I'll finish up here,” Ronove answered. “Please, send for Virgilia to aid in the final step.”

Ronove took slow, gentle steps towards Rosa, whom fell to her rear in fear.

“I will not expect your forgiveness, Rosa-sama,” Ronove said gently, “nor your understanding. Just know that, at the very least, we made it as painless as possible.”

“Wha...”

She didn't even get to finish the word, as a red light flashed from Ronove's hand, and Rosa slumped over dead.

A swarm of golden butterflies filled the room, and an elegant woman with silver hair appeared. “Have you succeeded in your task, Ronove?” she asked.

“But of course, Virgilia,” Ronove answered. “I shall be seeing to the removal of the parts. Might I ask you for the favour of 'setting up'?”

“Of course, my friend,” Virgilia answered fondly. “I must say, I didn't expect Battler to be among the first victims.”

“Nor had I,” Ronove said, “but that's just how the roulette goes sometimes.”

Ronove gathered up all of the severed body parts, with the exception of Kumasawa's head, stuffed them into a bag like a gory, reverse Santa Claus, and in a swarm of golden butterflies, vanished from the room.

“Well, time for me to get to work, then,” Virgilia stated. From her sleeves, she pulled out a long, baton-like wand, and produced an ember from its tip.

“Come, come. Try to recall,” she said in a sing-song manner. “What occurs after a blaze?”

So ends the First Twilight.

* * *

  
  


Genji and Gohda were, naturally, the first to wake up in the morning. While Gohda went down to the kitchen, Genji made his way towards Natsuhi's room. The natural order of operations for a servant of the Ushiromiya family.

Still, he had to wonder. What was that burnt smell?

Genji lightly knocked on the door. “Madam, it is Genji,” he said. “Are you awake?”

“I am, Genji,” Natsuhi replied. “I shall be out in a minute.”

Genji stepped away from the door, and a moment later, Natsuhi stepped out. “Good morning, Madam. I trust you are well?”

“Fairly so, Genji,” Natsuhi said. “Did the guests all return to their rooms alright?”

“To my knowledge, yes,” Genji answered. “I have also spoken with the master today, and he seems to be in good health.”

“I see. That's good to hear,” Natsuhi commented. Then, she sniffed the air. “Is something burning? I would have thought Gohda more diligent than that.”

“I would not think so, madam,” Genji said. “I had parted ways with Gohda not ten minutes ago. I can't imagine a man of his talents would be able to burn something so quickly.”

Before Natsuhi could comment further, however, a scream echoed through the mansion.

“G... Gohda?!” Natsuhi stuttered out. “Genji, quickly!”

“Understood,” he replied, as the two quickly made for the source of the scream.

If Genji's estimation was correct, that came from just outside the dining hall...

* * *

  
  


In the depths of dreams, Erika stirred in fear.

What was it that scared her so? Even she couldn't quite tell.

In the far distance of the abyss before her, she felt like she could see a figure. A figure that seemed so much like herself, only with an almost malicious air about her.

The shadow chuckled darkly. It seemed to be saying something, but Erika couldn't hear it.

“...ika... rika... Erika!”

Then, she woke up to the feeling of Maria shaking her.

The abyss previously before her was now replaced with the sight and smell of the guest room she had been put in. A welcome change, really.

“Oh. Maria,” she said tiredly. “Good morning.”

“Uu! Good morning!” Maria said cheerfully. “You were having a bad dream. Are you alright?”

Erika gave a gentle smile. “I'm fine, Maria,” she said. “As you said, it was just a bad dream.”

“An evil witch!” Maria stated. “An evil witch tried to take Erika! But Maria will protect!”

Erika chuckled lightly. While she personally didn't think it was anything to do with magic or witches, the fact that this 9 year old child was willing to stand up to such things for her was heartwarming, to say the least.

“... <Good>,” she said automatically. When she saw the odd look Maria gave her, even Erika wondered why she said that. “Thank you, Maria. It's certainly nice to have you as a friend.”

“Uu! Erika and Maria will be good friends!” Maria stated.

Erika got up from the bed. “Come along, Maria, let's head downstairs. I imagine breakfast won't be too far off.”

Maria 'uu'd cheerfully, as she took Erika's hand.

* * *

  
  


(Rokkenjima, October 5th, 7:30AM)

When they got down to the main lobby, Erika realised quickly that something was wrong.

Most of the people who had been sleeping in the guest house were all sitting in the lobby, with various looks of worry on their faces.

“Is something wrong?” Erika asked. “Everyone looks like they've just been given a ransom demand of a few billion yen.” Judging by the stares she got in response, that one didn't go over well with this audience. “Apologies. That joke seems to be in bad taste.”

Rudolf, at the very least, managed a chuckle. “Hey, we ain't gonna hold it against ya for trying,” he said. “Say, while you two were coming downstairs, you wouldn't happen to have seen Battler, Kyrie, or Rosa, would you?”

That was... curious, to say the least. Wouldn't Battler have been in the same room as Jessica and George?” Erika asked. “Perhaps he's just slept in?”

“He wasn't there when we got up,” George answered. “In fact, his bed was completely untouched. No signs of having been slept in at all.”

“Uu?” Battler missing?” Maria asked.

“Looks like it,” Eva said. “He can't have gone far, though. The only placed other than here are the mansion and the chapel, and that place is nearly always locked.” Then, she looked over to Rudolf with a rather coy smirk. “Say, Rudolf? You don't suppose he tried to go for a swim, do you?”

“Knowing Battler? He'd pull that off,” Rudolf laughed. “But, Rosa and Kyrie too? Can't say I'm not feeling nervous about something. When was the last time anyone saw them?”

“If I remember correct,” Hideyoshi said, “Kyrie and Rosa left the conference earlier than the rest of us to get some breathing space. I think they wen' back to the dining hall.”

“Come to think,” Jessica added, “Battler said he was going to the mansion to check up on you guys.”

“Did he?” Eva asked. “Guess we just missed him, then. Rudolf, my husband, and I all left the mansion about two minutes to midnight.”

“And Battler left here well before that,” Jessica recalled. “Then, could they all still be in the main house?”

“That'd make sense, but it's also a bit strange,” George said. “Surely aunt Kyrie and aunt Rosa would have come back to the guest house. At the very least, I can't imagine aunt Rosa not coming back to check up on Maria.”

Just then, Nanjo and Shannon came down the stairs. “We've finished the final sweep of the rooms,” Shannon said.

“No sign of any of them, I'm afraid,” Nanjo followed up. “I think we can assume, one way or another, that they're in the mansion.”

Rudolf let out a small sigh. “Guess we'll just have to go there and look ourselves, yeah?” he said. “You kids gonna come with?”

“In a minute, I think,” Erika answered. “Maria and I _did_ just wake up, after all.”

“Ah, to be young,” Eva said in an almost soothing manner. “George, what about you and Jessica?”

“We'll wait on Erika and Maria,” George answered. “After all, it'd be impolite not to wait on the ladies.”

Eva gave a warm smile that betrayed her past portrayals. “You really have grown to be a fine gentleman, George,” she said softly.

As the three parents, Nanjo, and Shannon, began to leave for the main building, Shannon paused briefly. Being at the back end of that group, the only ones to notice were those twenty year of age or under. She gave a small, blush-filled smile, and raised her left hand.

Erika noticed a certain glint of light coming from the ring finger on that hand. It didn't take a detective to figure out what it was, who she was showing it to, and why.

George, for his part, contained himself. Shannon left, and the front door was heard shutting.

Erika raised a hand, signalling George for something. Then, she raised three fingers. Two... One...

“Clear,” she said, and George let out a loud, uncharacteristic cheer.

“Alright, George!” Jessica shouted. “Way to go!”

“Uu? What's going on?” Maria asked. “Did something good happen?”

“Something did, Maria,” Erika answered. “I'm not sure how well you'll understand it, but your cousin has managed to achieve a dream most men struggle to get close to.”

Maria wasn't sure she understood, but what she did know was that George, right now, was happy. That alone was cause to be happy, in her books.

* * *

  
  


**(Track Set: Goldenslaughterer)**

It was around 8:00AM that the cousins and Erika arrived at the main building, and almost immediately, something in the air was wrong.

A strange, foreboding intensity. A faint smell of copper. The overwhelming feeling that something was going to sneak out around the corner and get them.

Then, there was the scream. It was loud, long, and all together filled with sorrow.

“That... that was uncle Rudolf!” George shouted.

“It came from the dining hall,” Erika mentioned, recalling the manor's layout. “Come, we should hurry!”

The youths made their way through the manor quickly. For some reason, it felt like the hall and foyer were longer than they should have been. When they rounded the next corner, with Erika and Maria in the lead, they saw Eva and Hideyoshi standing just outside the dining hall, alongside Genji, Gohda, and Shannon.

Eva noticed them just as they were two meters away, and had an indescribable look on her face. “No!” she shouted. “Stay back, children!”

It was only too late that Erika recognised the look on those five faces; despair.

The four came to a screeching halt, and got a good, long look at what was in the dining hall.

Anybody can claim to have seen hell on Earth. Not all of them, however, have seen what was now forever burned into the hearts and minds of those present on Rokkenjima.

“Wha... what the hell?” George stuttered. “What the hell?! What... what happened here?”

Jessica fought the urge to vomit. “That... that one that mum's crying over... it... it couldn't be...” Then she looked at one of the other ones. “And... that thinner one... please... say it isn't...”

Maria's eyes were fixed more on the one that seemed the most 'intact'. “... Mama?” she asked innocently.

“Get back! Please, don't look any longer!” Eva shouted. “George, Erika! Please, at least protect Maria from this!”

Erika couldn't find words. The whole world seemed to buzz like static on a TV.

Inside the dining hall were six bodies. Well, more like there were 'parts from six different bodies', as not all were in one piece. One missed an arm. Another, its head. One was missing its legs, and two were missing parts of their torso. Only one body, the one Maria was transfixed by, still had all its limbs.

Nearly every square inch of them, though, was burnt black and brown. As if that wasn't bad enough, though, each corpse was burned so that, at the end of the day, you could tell who they were suppose to be.

The one with the missing arm still had part of his beret. The one with the hole in his chest that Natsuhi was crying over was, by far, the one with the most muscle mass. The one missing her whole torso still had fragments of her apron. The one missing her legs still had a few tuffs of silver hair.

The whole body still had the remains of a cravat left. And, finally, the one missing its head still had some parts of its red dress shirt remaining. That, on top of Rudolf wailing over it and the legless one told everyone just who it was.

“Batt...ler?” Erika muttered. “This... this is some twisted joke, right?”

Nanjo, who had been checking the still intact body, shook his head in dismay. “I'm afraid not, Erika,” he said weakly. “There's... no doubt about it.”

While Jessica was able to resist throwing up yesterdays dinner, Erika had not been so lucky. Quickly, she ran to the nearest corner, and proceeded to throw up unceremoniously.

Six people. Six people had just been brutally murdered. Hell, judging by the condition of the bodies, they had been burned after they were turned cut up.

“Who... who would do such a thing?” George cursed, biting back tears. “To violate the sanctity of life... like this? What... what kind of inhuman monster?!”

“Damn it!!!” Rudolf cried. “Kyrie... Battler... Why?! Why you two?!”

“Kanon!! Dad!!” Jessica bawled.

Eva's grip tightened around her fan. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't affected emotionally by this, but right now, someone had to bring everyone back together. “Gohda,” she said loudly. “Gather as much non-perishable stuff as you can and move it to the guest house. Shannon, you help him.”

“U...understood, ma'am!” Gohda stuttered out, as he and Shannon made for the kitchen.

“Eva?” Hideyoshi spoke. “What are ya planning?”

“We need to board ourselves in,” she answered quickly. “If there's a deranged psychopath on the loose, none of us can afford to stay in this mansion any longer. We need to hold ourselves up somewhere small, where it's easier to keep track of who goes where.”

Natsuhi stood up. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, yet there was a certain degree of determination in them. “Eva is right,” she said. “So long as there's an unaccounted for killer on the loose, we... we mustn't be reckless.”

Eva gave a small sigh of relief. “Thank you, Natsuhi. For what it's worth, I do not believe you to be the culprit.”

**(Track End)**

George, going with the flow, tried to usher as many as he could out of the dining room. Erika and Maria were the last to leave.

“Uu...” Maria said softly. “Beatrice promised to revive everyone at the end, but... why did Mama have to be first?”

Erika, for her part, didn't hear Maria's complaint. Her attention was held solely by the corpse of Ushiromiya Battler.

“Battler... I hardly knew you,” she muttered, “but... You were by far the best friend I knew, short though our time may have been.” Stifling a sob, she placed a hand on what she assumed what once his shoulder. It felt as warm as a fireplace that had just gone out. “Farewell, Battler. It... it was a pleasure to know you. Thank you, for saving me when you did, and making me feel welcome.”

As the tears flowed freely, Erika took Maria's hand, and led her to the others.

One the first twilight, the six sacrifices chosen by the key were Battler, Rosa, Krauss, Kyrie, Kanon, and Kumasawa.

Deep within the darkness of the mansion, unobserved by the survivors, something _slithered_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I really hope I can do the mystery genre justice. And the horror genre, too. I feel like those two are key to doing a pure Umineko fic justice.  
> Still, we've now passed the first twilight. If you're wondering whether any meta-world things will take place... well, I'm not saying they 'won't', but they won't be as soon as you expect.  
> No matter. Tally-ho!


	3. Despair Trapped

The air in the main lobby of the guest house was sombre. Everyone wanted to say something, anything, but none could find the words.

Maria and Jessica had just lost their parents. Natsuhi had lost her husband. The servants had lost their coworkers. Rudolf had lost his wife and son, perhaps for the second time, depending on how you look at it.

Erika lost the first person she could recall ever considering a friend.

Eva and Hideyoshi, possibly the few people among them that weren't directly affected by this incident, looked rather shaken up. As much as they tended to butt heads, that was still their brother, sisters, and nephew, lying on the ground like burnt, half eaten kebabs.

Then, however, Gohda let out a startled gasp.

“What is it?” Natsuhi called out.

“It's... it's the cans!” Gohda stuttered. “They... they're..!”

Erika was quickest on her feet, and ran over to check what had him so spooked. Looking at the cans, though, made it perfectly obvious.

“They're compromised,” she said plainly. “The culprit seems to have gotten to them first.”

“What do you mean, Erika?” Eva asked. Erika, in turn, held up one of the cans, showing the top to everyone.

There was a small knife-shaped hole in it, roughly two centimetres in length and half a centimetre thick. “From the looks of it, only about a fifth of what we've got here haven't been compromised,” Erika surmised. “It... won't be enough to see us through to tomorrow without being in danger of fatigue.”

“I deeply apologise, everyone,” Gohda said, hanging his head in shame. “If we hadn't grabbed everything in such a panic, then...”

“It's not your fault, Gohda,” Rudolf interjected. “It... everything was so sudden. No one should blame you or Shannon for overlooking it.”

There was an unusual emptiness to Rudolf's voice that nobody missed, but his emphasis on blame was loud and clear.

“Then, what are we to do?” Natsuhi asked. “Could we barricade ourselves in and just tough through it?”

“Not reliably,” Erika answered. “The culprit could easily break through any window once fatigue strikes us. Or, worse yet, if they're actually already among us...”

“Don't talk about things like that,” Rudolf cut in. “It can't have been any of us. The alibi's, motives, and ability to kill don't line up at all.”

Erika understood what he meant. In mystery novels, there are three main components; Whodunit, Howdunit, and Whydunit. Whodunits can usually be solved by finding faults in alibis; in this case, the ones with the most faulty/non-existent alibis were Gohda, Genji, and Natsuhi, as everyone else was in the guest house.

Where these three being the culprit fall apart, however, is in the 'how' and 'why'. Genji could be explained through the 'why' of 'because Kinzo ordered it', but even if he was secretly as strong as the Hulk, he'd have a hard time killing six people, among which was Krauss, and ex-boxer, Battler, who can pick Erika up bodily and run at full sprint two times over the course of a small handful of hours without showing signs of wear, and Kanon, who's lithe figure would have made him a hard target. That's not to rule out Kyrie and Rosa, either, as they wouldn't have rested on their laurels during such a scuffle.

Gohda could be ruled out by the 'why' part. He was far too timid a man to be able to kill six people effectively.

Natsuhi, as it was, fell flat on both 'how' and 'why'. She wasn't physically strong like Genji or Gohda, there was no chance to ambush all six of them without the others knowing, and lastly, she wasn't the sort of woman to murder her own husband, sisters, and nephew.

Even if the three were to team up, there was no conceivable way they could have taken all six without some sign of injury. Genji might have been able to take both Battler and Krauss with his wits, but not while also dealing with at least three others hounding him. Gohda might have been able to take the three males himself, but again, he was a softie. The man probably couldn't even conceive the idea of hitting a woman, yet alone killing anyone. As for Natsuhi... does it even need saying? The only one of the six she could possibly hurt in any way was Kumasawa, and even then, that was a stretch.

That only left one possible culprit, one that had gone unspoken since the start; Kinzo.

But, even that argument has a few flaws in it. Namely, Kinzo is old, and supposedly dying.

“Regardless, we need to go back and get more,” Rudolf said. “We don't stand a farts chance in the wind otherwise, and I'm willing to bet whoever is behind this has left a few can untouched.”

“But, how do you plan to do that?” Eva asked. “It's too dangerous to go there, alone and unarmed!”

“In that case, I believe I have an option for you,” Genji said, moving towards one of the walls. He pushed his finger into a small hole, and from there, opened what could only be called a hidden shelf.

And on that shelf were two guns. Short barrel, lever action Winchester rifles, to be exact.

“Those... those are from fathers collection!” Eva noticed. “Genji, why are they here?”

“With the masters permission, we had them and two boxes of rounds stored here in case of emergency,” Genji explained. He picked up the rifles, handing one to Rudolf, and the other to Hideyoshi. “If you are willing to take my advice, sirs and ladies, I'd suggest one gun stay here, and the other go with a small group should you wish to brave the manor.”

“Strength in numbers, eh?” Rudolf said, testing the weight of the gun in his hands. “I get ya, Genji. So, who's up for sneaking into the tiger's den?”

“I'll go,” Shannon said first. “You'll need someone to get through the doors.”

“Then, I'm going too!” George shouted. “I refuse to let Shannon go in there with only uncle Rudolf as backup.”

“George!” Eva yelled. “Absolutely not! I forbid it!”

George looked at his mother, and gave an almost sad smile. “Sorry, mother, but you can't convince me otherwise,” he said. “I can't just sit on the sidelines while people I love go out and risk their lives. This... this is my choice, as a man.”

It wasn't a large, overbearing speech, but it was enough to make an impact. “Then, I'm going with you,” Erika spoke up. “If two heads are better than one, and three better than two, a fourth should make this team all but invincible. And at the very least, you'll have someone to use as a scapegoat should the need arise.”

“You mustn't say things like that!” Natsuhi shouted.

This, somehow, caught Erika off guard. “Why not?” she asked. “I'm the only one here without any ties to anyone else. In fact, I've a feeling that there's no one waiting for me back on the mainland. If my dying could save the lives of those left, or even out the culprit, then...”

“Sorry, kiddo, but can't let you do that,” Rudolf said. “I think I speak for everyone -and doubly so Maria- when I say that we'd all be pretty bummed if you kicked it before us old fops. Besides, even if what you think is true, Battler would probably haunt us for letting you die.”

“But...” Erika hesitated. “I'm just... a nobody.”

“That ain't true,” Hideyoshi said. “Yer Erika, ain't ya? Just 'cause you don't have ya memories, don't mean yer not a person we care about.”

Once again, Erika was at a loss for words.

“Got that, kiddo?” Rudolf continued. “You can come along to back us up if you want, but if you die out there, I'm not going to be far behind to see if the double negative concept applies to death.”

* * *

  
  


Shannon gently opened the door that connected the kitchen to the outside. This particular door wasn't used quite as often as the other ways in; in fact, it was mainly used when the garbage bins needed emptying.

Rudolf took point, followed closely by Erika, then Shannon, and finally George.

“Forward, clear,” Rudolf said quietly.

“Rear, clear,” George replied. “Shannon and I will work on gathering what we can. Uncle Rudolf, Erika, you two keep watch.”

“You got it, boss,” Rudolf said, giving a mock salute. “Erika, there are two doors for us to cover; one to the hall, and one to the dining room. Both doors open inwards, so barricading shouldn't be too hard. You got a preferred strategy?”

“Move one of the cabinets over the hallway door,” Erika said. “It'll be easier on us if we only have to cover the one.”

“You got it, missy,” he replied, as he shifted one of the larger free-standing cabinets across, blocking off the one door. From there, the two took up opposing sides of the last remaining door.

Rudolf let out a sad sigh. “To think... my wife and kid are just on the other side of this door,” he muttered. “I should have been the one to die, not them. Why... why is it that, more often than not, it's the sinners that survive?”

“Sinners?” Erika asked. “I'm not sure I know what you mean, Rudolf.”

“No, I suppose not,” he chuckled sadly. “Will you listen to it, then? My confession?”

Erika wasn't quite sure she knew where this was going, but she nodded anyway.

“It all started over eighteen years ago,” Rudolf began. “At the time, my then-wife, Asumu, and Kyrie were both pregnant. Both my kids, as you'd guess.”

“So, you had a wife and a mistress, then,” Erike surmised. “Then, since Battler is Asumu's child, I'm assuming this Ange I've heard about is Kyrie?”

“You're not wrong, at the very least,” Rudolf said. “Yes, Ange is Kyrie's and my daughter, but as a kicker for you to think on, she's only six years old. Get what that means?”

“Then, if Asumu is Battler's mother, and Ange is Kyrie's six year old daughter...” Erika ran the scenario through her head, and reached the morbid conclusion. “Then, Kyrie's first child was a miscarriage?”

“Bing-bong!” Rudolf announced. “Nailed it in one. At least, you _would_ have.”

“Would have?” This time, it was George who spoke up.

“Yeah. That's... where my sin comes in,” he continued. “I was young. Young and brash and all together too foolish. A problem I didn't account for arose, and I... decided to solve it with money. Bribed the doctors to keep them silent.”

“The doctors?” Erika muttered. Then, the dots lined up like a constellation. “Kyrie wasn't the one to miscarry? Asumu did?”

“You're a regular Sherlock Holmes, ain't ya?” Rudolf said. “Yeah, that's exactly it. My mistress gave birth to a healthy boy, while my wife didn't. You could imagine how that would go over with this family.”

“So, using money, you...” George swallowed nervously. “You swapped the babies?”

“Yeah. That's... that's my sin,” Rudolf surmised, looking skyward as if pleading to God for mercy. “I had wanted to come clean to them during our stay here. Hell, I thought that when I did, I would have been killed by one of them. But now...”

Erika put a hand on Rudolf's back. “It...” She was about to say 'it will be alright', but the time for that had long passed. She couldn't say 'it's not your fault' because that would be a straight up lie. “Would you... like to see them one last time? Confess to them?”

It really wasn't the best idea, on two levels. One, what was left of Battler and Kyrie was best compared to overdone steak. Two, with a killer on the loose, so really, anything not on the original plan was a bad idea.

But, they were human. Humans, as a species, were prone to making poor choices if it meant emotional closure.

“... Yeah,” Rudolf said weakly. “I... I think I'd like that.”

“Then go ahead, Rudolf-sama,” Shannon spoke up. “George-sama and I will keep watch.”

“Thanks,” Rudolf nodded. “You kids... you're all too good for a family like this.”

The three youths gave him a warm smile. “I'll get the door, then,” Erika said. “Are you ready?”

Rudolf nodded, and Erika gently opened the door.

* * *

  
  


Wrong.

It was wrong.

It was all so God damn wrong.

“Oi. You're... you're kidding, right?” Rudolf stuttered out. “Someone... someone tell me that this is just some twisted joke!”

“How... how did this happen?” George asked. “It... it's only been two hours at most!”

“This is impossible,” Erika muttered. “How... just how?!”

The bodies were gone. This wouldn't have been odd, were it not for the fact that the main way into the dining hall had been blocked off, and the way through the kitchen needed a key to lock up behind itself, since Shannon had to unlock it earlier.

The only signs of the bodies being moved in any particular direction was the streaks of blood and ash that led towards the main door.

“You... don't think they managed to get out through that door, do you?” Shannon asked. “But, we locked it!”

“The door in the kitchen, quickly!” Rudolf shouted. “That has to have been the only way through!”

The four ran to the recently blocked door and removed the cabinet from the path. Going through the door and into the hall only confirmed their fears.

“The trail... it continues,” George muttered. “Then... did they go through that door?”

“Impossible,” Erika said, pointing towards the point where the top of the door met the door frame. “Even if the culprit went around the same way we did to unlock the door, they can't have gone through the door. Look.” The spot she was pointing towards had, to their surprise, a length of duct tape along it. “If the door was opened, then that tape seal would have broken.”

“You planned that far ahead?” George asked. “It's a smart move, to be sure, but...”

“Indeed. It fails to answer the important question,” Erika admitted. “The 'howdunit'. Namely, how did six bodies get through a locked door?”

“Perhaps we should ask the culprit when they show up?” Rudolf asked. “After all that noise, they probably know we're here.”

“Caught between a trap and a hard place, huh?” Erika mused. “Our course of action?”

Rudolf cocked the shotgun dramatically. “Spring the trap,” he said. “You kids head back to the guest house. I'll take it from here.”

“What, and leave you to die alone?” Erika asked. “Sorry to disappoint, Rudolf, but we're not letting you have your 'last man standing' moment just yet.”

* * *

  
  


The four, against their better judgement, slowly crept down the hall, and towards the mansion lobby, following the ashen trail.

The air was stagnant, filled with a nameless dread. It truly did feel like, at any moment, the Golden Witch could jump out from around the corner and kill them.

Then, suddenly, Shannon let out a small shriek.

“What is it?!” Rudolf called, pointing the gun down the hall they came.

“S... something just breathed down my neck!” she exclaimed.

Everyone looked to every corner they could see, and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, I really hope it's just nerves,” Rudolf said. “I really, really hope it's nerves.”

“Just... take deep breaths, everyone,” George said. “Look. The trail goes up the stairs. We're... probably the only ones on this floor.”

“Cross fingers you're right,” Erika muttered. “I'd hate to think it's an elaborate trap.”

Rudolf and Erika took point as they approached the stairs, with George and Shannon bringing up the rear.

Then, something went 'squelch'.

Things inside a house were not suppose to go 'squelch'.

“Someone... please tell me I was the only one to hear that,” Rudolf said shakily.

“I... wish I could, uncle Rudolf,” George answered.

Everyone looked up into the darkness of the second floor. Something was moving. Something too unnatural to be footsteps, yet too smoothly consistent to be the sound of a dragged body.

Whatever it was, it was big. More importantly, though, it was _alive_.

“Let's... back away from here,” Erika said nervously, struggling to keep her knees from shaking. “Just back away, nice and slowly.”

As they did, though, something small flew from the second floor. A second later, the chandelier in the foyer fell, forcing the group to dodge different ways.

This had the unfortunate effect of trapping Erika down one hall, Rudolf on the stairs, and George and Shannon down another hall.

“Shit!” Rudolf shouted. “You kids get the hell out of here! Whatever's up here, I'm gonna take it down!”

“Uncle Rudolf, don't!” George shouted too late. Rudolf had already charged ahead, not listening to his nephew. “Damn it. Erika! We need to get out of here and warn everyone else!”

“How?” Erika yelled back. “I don't know my way around this house!”

“The house should loop around,” Shannon answered. “Just keep following the hallway around! We'll wait for you in the kitchen!”

“You'd better!” Erika yelled back. “I do not want to explain to your family why I'm the only one to get back!”

* * *

  
  


On the second floor, Rudolf crept slowly, keeping his back to the wall. Last thing he needed was someone sneaking up on him.

Actually, scratch that, the _last_ thing he needed right now was that constant sound of heavy breathing. Was the culprit actually a Darth Vader cosplayer?

As he rounded the next corner, Rudolf stepped in something wet. He looked down, and was quickly appalled by the sight.

“Blood?” he muttered, before pointing his gun into the darkness ahead. “Alright, you jackass! You've proved you're scary, now get out here!”

Then, in response, something moved.

It was too unnatural to be human, but too natural to be anything not made of flesh and bone. Too smooth to be dead, yet too strange to be alive.

“Damn it, get out here!” Rudolf shouted, his anger boiling over. “Get out here so I can bust your ass for killing Battler and Kyrie!”

Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the hallway. Rudolf stood frozen at the sight.

“What... what the fuck?” he muttered, his aim trembling. The sound of It approaching grew louder and louder. “What the fuck are you?! Stay back!”

Rudolf pulled the trigger, the muzzle flash briefly illuminating the head of the creature as it lunged.

* * *

  
  


George flinched at the sound of the gunshot.

“Do... do you think he got the culprit?” Shannon asked hesitantly, as if holding on to a shard of optimism.

“I really hope so,” George said weakly. “I'd hate to think of the alternative.”

The air seemed tense around them. “We'll... we'll survive this, right?” Shannon asked.

“We will,” George said, voice filled with a bit more determination. “Even if I have to burn this manor to the ground just to get the culprit, we'll survive.”

It was admittedly a rather dark thing to think, but in its own way, it was still rather sweet.

What was less sweet, however, was the sound of something crawling towards them.

George immediately jumped between Shannon and the sound. The hallway might have been long, but it was by no means dark. Logically, he should have been able to see what made that sound.

Yet, there was nothing. Nothing, except for a few strange butterflies.

“Where... did those come from?” George asked.

Shannon, however, knew what that signified. “Bea...trice,” she muttered. “The roulette... has chosen it's next targets.”

“I won't allow it!” George shouted. “Witches, roulettes, I won't let those things decide our fate! We'll get out of this, I swear it!”

Then, something dripped onto his shoulder. It didn't take more than a cautionary glance to tell it was blood.

The two slowly looked up, just as what could only be described as a grotesque mound of flesh and hair fell, its maw opened far too wide to be natural.

* * *

  
  


Erika was gradually running out of breath. She knew mansions tended to be on the side of 'large', but this was getting ridiculous.

It had only been five minutes at a minimum, but it was starting to feel like an hour since she'd broken off from George and Shannon. Things had gotten... scarily quiet ever since then, with the only sound being that of her breathing and footsteps.

Before long, though, she came across an unblocked set of stairs, leading up to the second floor.

Erika let out a sigh of relief. If anything, this meant that Rudolf had some means of escaping the culprit, if that shot earlier didn't work. Despite logic saying to keep following the hall until it looped, she took the stairs up, just in case Rudolf was still up there.

The second floor, however, was shrouded in darkness. Without a single light on, and the only illumination coming from the occasionally lightning flash, it was almost pitch black.

A part of her wanted to call out, but knew that would be a death sentence. So, she reached for the wall, and keeping one hand on it at all times, slowly moved forward.

Slowly, step by step, she proceeded on, until her foot brushed against something remarkably solid.

She bent down, allowing her hand to brush against it, and froze instantly.

It was in two halves, both of which comprised of torn metal and splintered wood. What shape could be made out from it made it very obvious that this was Rudolf Winchester rifle.

This told her two things: One, the culprit got Rudolf. Two, the culprit had enough strength to break a gun in half, probably with their bare hands.

Lightning flashed outside the manor, briefly illuminating the hall. There, she saw a very distinct trail of blood.

Erika bit back tears as best she could. “Again,” she muttered. “Once again, someone's died, and I was too slow to save them. Is this... suppose to be my fate? To watch people die?”

Before she realised it, she had reached the balcony that overlooked the main foyer. Then, once more, she noticed the next most horrifying thing; the chandelier had been moved. Not by much, but enough that something large could have access to the stairs.

And, worse of all, a fare distance from the corner on the right, Erika could just barely see a pair of glasses frames on the ground.

“No...” she muttered in despair. “George! Shannon! Are you two there?!”

It was a small, possibly innocuous, almost innocent lapse of judgement. On paper, most people would say they 'wouldn't make that same mistake', but the only reason anyone can say that is because of the simple fact that _they're not experiencing it for themselves_. You course people can say that sort of thing, because they're not there in the heat of the moment, having lapses in their judgement.

Erika, for her part, realised her error all too late, as a long set of fingers peaked out from around the corner.

No, that was not misread. Despite both the distance between the glasses and the wall, as well as Erika's angle advantage, she distinctly could not see anything resembling the main body of the hand. It was just fingers that led into more fingers.

The fingers dragged the glassed back around the corner, and what followed could only be described as an unsettling 'crunch'.

“Is... is it... eating them?” Erika muttered in disbelief. The sound of something being dragged began to echo, and, finally, something peaked its head out from around the corner.

It... escaped all logic. Erika's eyes met with it, and even through she registered what it looked like, her brain rejected it, like trying to put a plug into the wrong socket. She registered red hair, a horrendous blob of a torso, a jaw that seemed a few slabs of cheeks too short to be functional, arms that were longer than its own self, fingers the length of her own torso, and eyes that seemed to almost gleam.

It could not have possibly existed. The 'truth' of it was right in front of her, staring back at her, yet something in the back of her mind refused to accept it as real.

When it moved its mouth, Erika quickly snapped back to her senses, and did the one logical thing she could think of; run.

She desperately hoped that she could lose... whatever that thing was. Judging by the unsettling sounds and gooey thumps, though, that didn't seem likely.

Erika, in her panic, reached for the nearest door. Thankfully, it was unlocked. Entering the guest room as quickly as she could, Erika locked the door behind her, set the chain, and pressed her back against the door, breathing heavily.

Then, came the scratching. Scritch, scritch, scratch.

Fear once again took over Erika's mind. “Go away,” she said weakly. “Go away, go away go away go away please just GO AWAY!”

Then, the scratching stopped. Erika, however, didn't get her hopes up, as she could still hear something.

It was guttural, gunky, breathing, coming through the lock on the door. What remained of her curiosity wanted to look through the keyhole, to see what was there, but logic and fear won out in the end.

However, she was curious enough to place her ear against the door, hoping to hear it slither off.

“E...i...a...” it breathed. Was... was it speaking? No, worst of all, what was it saying?

“E......a,” it said again.

“Is... is there some sentience in it?” Erika asked in disbelief.

Then, the scratching began anew with renewed vigour, accompanied by a chorus of incomplete words and... laughter?

“E...i...... E...ika...”

“What... what on earth?” Erika muttered, backing away from the door. Gradually, the scratching began to sound more like scraping. She could only imagine the wood fibres peeling off the door like potato skin.

“E...ri...ka...”

Once more, Erika's heart and mind were overcome with fear. Desperately, she looked for either a place to hide, or a way out.

No. Hiding wouldn't do her any good. She needed to run, but where?

Then, an idea struck her. “The window!” she shouted. Quickly running to the window, she found that, while it was locked, it could easily be unlocked. Opening the window, harsh wind and rain rushed into the room, belting her in the face. Erika ignored it, however, and made a desperate attempt to climb out the window.

She held on desperately as the rain soaked through to her skin. All she had to do was slowly get to ground level before the door gave way. Simple, at least on paper.

However, looking down from such a height, any sense of confidence was quickly thrown to the wind. Logically, a two-storey fall was survivable, but when looking at it from on high, 'two-storeys' looks a whole lot more like ten.

The fear of the fall caused her muscles to tense up, and, as all might be aware, that smallest of spasms caused her to lose her footing in this rain.

The last word she could utter was a flat, disbelieving “Ah” as she plummeted towards the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I usually do my uploads these days in batches of two, but... considering the sort of 'suspense' I'm going for here, I figured it would be best to drop this now and leave y'all hanging for a bit longer.  
> After all, we're getting into some serious humoresque shit now.  
> In other news, though; I've published my first original book on Amazon! I'm not usually one to try and plug things here, but I really do want to share this somewhere, since I don't have much social media presence in order to advertise.  
> So, if anyone's interested, feel free to look up 'The Untyrannical Demon' on Amazon. It's not a long read, and hopefully not too expensive a buy (I put the price as low as I could, but the paperback is still a bit pricey for it's length if you're going off AUD, IMO), so please, check it out if you're interested!  
> Well, shameless plugging aside, let's continue with the story!

**Author's Note:**

> Finally! A fic idea that isn't a crossover! Sometimes I wonder if I do too many of those.  
> Also, this might just be my first wholly 'mystery' story, too. What fun it'll be.  
> Now, the main thing I should be talking about; Furudo Erika. You're no doubt wondering just where the idea for an amnesiac Erika came from, right? Simply put, I had the idea while thinking about what Erika must have been like before Bernkastel convinced her to become a witch. From there, it spiralled into the idea of 'the Furudo Erika abandoned by the Witch of Truth'.  
> In short, this could be less 'Furudo Erika' and more 'the shell that once was Furudo Erika'.  
> … I really hope I explained that well.  
> Regardless, we go on!


End file.
